Always and Forever
by Araindil
Summary: All Mokuba wants is to have his big brother back. Despair, depression, suicide. Oneshot. Interpret as you wish.


Disclaimer: Hey, I'm back, and nope, still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...

Summary: "It's been three months since Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom Tournament, three months since the tragedy; three months filled with the longest, most painful days of my life." Oneshot. Interpret as you wish.

* * *

**Always and Forever**

_Petals in a puddle,  
Floating in the wind.  
Tears that fall from my eyes,  
Never seem to end. _

_Wishing you were next to me,  
Always by my side.  
I wish I had a place to go,  
Somplace I could hide. _

_A place where I would wait for you,  
Till we could be together.  
A place where we would always stay,  
Always and forever. (1)  
_

A few dead leaves, yellow and curled, scuttle over the cold ground, blown by the gusty autumn breeze. There are still a few open flowers from last week, the once pristine white of the petals are now flecked with brown. But in the dim light of the moon and stars, everything is painted a shade of blue-gray. There seem to be a few more flowers than I remember placing here... But that is just my imagination, I suppose.

I pick them up gently, but the limp, dry petal drop at my touch to cascade down upon the cold earth. Casting the stalks aside, I lay a bunch of fresh flowers down.

I place a hand into the pocket of my vest, feeling the small package there. I take a deep breath.

It's been three months since Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom Tournament, three months since the tragedy; three months filled with the longest, most painful days of my life.

I kneel down, resting my hands on the ground as though by simply getting closer, I can bring your familiar presence back. Closing my eyes, I fancy that it almost works.

But almost is still a far cry from reality.

Still, you're here in my mind -- always and forever. I remember you with each passing day, not a moment goes by when I don't think of you. Everything I do now is what you want me to do, taken from memories of you.

I'm not letting you down. You know those virtual pods you worked so hard for? Well, they are being released this week. They're going to be a big hit, I just know it. Everything you make is awesome, you never fail. Except maybe that one time... But I'm not going to think of that, not yet. I try not to now, you know.

It's hard, I don't think you can understand how hard it is. You're strong, you always were, but I'm not like that. It hurts, it hurts so much. Every time I close my eyes I see you smiling at me, every time I dream I hear your voice, every time I try to do something my thoughts always return to you.

I swallow my tears, but it still hurts.

I miss you, Seto. I miss you so much.

The headstone just sits silently, absorbing all my words, but offering no reply. Your name is written in a bold font: Seto Kaiba. There is no epitaph to adorn the rest of the blank stone. There should be one, but there was no one suitable to come up with one when...when you passed away.

Don't be mad, but I have to confess now -- sometimes I wish Yugi hadn't stopped me when I tried to jump after my soul was restored. I was so devastated by the news, I couldn't believe it. I still can hardly believe it. You can't be gone, not forever. Forever is too long a time.

I want to be with you again, I want to go with you to wherever you've gone. I don't want to go on without you. I try, but I can't; I'm not strong enough.

I'm starting to cry, and I can't stop these tears. It just hurts too much.

I've always had an irrational fear of being alone. When I was little, I got scared every time you went out of my sight. It felt like I was losing something, something really important and precious. And now that you're really gone, it's more than just a feeling. A part of me is dead, a part of me died with you. And whatever is left of me is in pieces, fragments of a forgotten life -- a life with you.

What's the point of going on now? The memory of you drives me past pain, past endurance to insanity, to suicide. You're dead because of me, you paid the ultimate price to save my soul, but you killed me when you died, I can't live without you.

My life's in pieces, Seto, and you're not here to help me pick them up. You're not here to help me put my life back together.

You're gone, I can't believe it but it's true -- you're really gone. You were everything in my life, more precious than anything that the world can offer -- you were my only family. Now, I don't know what to live for anymore.

I just want everything to be alright, somehow, someway. And it will be alright, you'll see. Soon, we'll be together again. These pills -- they're in my pocket, here -- are supposed to work really fast, and I take them now, so in a few minutes I'll be with you. It won't hurt, it's supposed to numb the senses, and then I just feel like I'm falling asleep. That doesn't sound so bad

You must know that this is the only way for me now, if I try to keep going on alone my mind will break. I can't afford that. My heart's already been broken, and my spirit is about to crumble. I just can't go on like this anymore. I have to be with you again.

The ground feels softer than usual as I lie down. I feel so comforted here, where you rest. They call it morbid, but I don't care as long as I'm close to you. Being here brings me security, it makes me relaxed.

And now the darkness is closing in, but I'm not afraid. It feels comforting, falling into this darkness. It's like falling asleep in your arms. I remember when I used to be scared of the dark. You'd just hold me until I fell asleep. It feels this way now.

I close my eyes as the darkness wraps around my mind.

I'm with you again, Seto, just falling asleep in your arms...

* * *

The city was in a state of semi-silence at the late hour. Occasionally, Yugi heard the sound of cars in the distance, but the streets he walked down remained empty and still. He trusted his feet to remember where he was going, for his mind was off in a world of its own. These days, his thoughts dwelt on the past more and more often. 

The events of Duelist Kingdom still haunted him at night, making him restless, stealing his sleep. The death of Seto Kaiba had affected him more than any of his friends knew. He was shaken, mind and soul. Every time he thought of the late world champion, he was reminded that he -- Yugi Moto -- had been the one who killed Kaiba.

Yugi remembered the sound of his own voice, oddly distant, as he had called that fatal attack on their last duel outside of Pegasus' castle. Every word was burned into his mind, branded there as though by a white-hot iron.

_"Kaiba, I've never back away and I'm not starting now! Celtic Guardian, attack!"_

And by the time he tried to call off the attack, it had been too late. He could only watch in horror as Kaiba was knocked off the ledge, disappearing over the wall.

Yugi had tried to forget it, tried to make peace with that restlessness that plauged him, but nothing worked. How could he make peace with himself, how could he forgive himself when his conscience simply refused to allow him to leave the past behind?

So now, more and more often, Yugi found himself walking down the familiar ways to the cemetery where Kaiba had been buried. It was like an obsession, a disease that had no cure. In the middle of the night, when sleep eluded him, he would get up and walk the lonely miles to visit Kaiba's grave. Yugi knew that some spoke out loud at the graves of the deceased, perhaps trying to communicate with them, if only to ease their own peace of mind. Yugi remained silent whenever he visited, it was a solitude that was filled with remorse and bitterness, but one that his heart craved with a morbid perseverance.

He sometimes brought flowers, if he went early enough in the day so there were still stores open somewhere nearby. Tonight, however, the only places open were nightclubs and suspicious little stores that Yugi avoided.

A truck suddenly roared by, shattering the silence of the night. Yugi started slightly, snapping out of his thoughts. Looking around, he realized that he was drawing close to the cemetery. He stuck his hands in his pockets and picked up his pace. As he did so, he felt his fingers come into contact with something in his pocket -- a Duel Monsters Card? Pulling out the card, he saw by the dim starlight that it was The Ties of Friendship -- the only copy in the world, the card that he had received for winning the Duelist Kingdom Tournament.

Yugi's throat constricted slightly, and he shoved the card back into his pocket. If whatever powers that controlled his life were trying to communicate some sort of symbolism through the card, then they had a twisted sense of humor. The Ties of _Friendship_. Of all the cards, why this one? Yugi had tried to make friends with Kaiba, feeling that the other boy's aloofness was unnatural. But now, any chance of that had been snatched away, with Yugi himself being the one who had sealed Kaiba's death.

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling a burning sensation in his eyes. He would _not_ cry, not now. Shaking himself slightly, he opened his eyes and realized that he was already at the cemetery gates. He passed through quickly and set off down a small path toward the other side where Kaiba's grave was. Yugi's heart suddenly felt heavy, as if the darkness was a blanket that was slowly smothering him. He drew a shaky breath.

Trying to shake off the feeling, Yugi quickened his steps. He wasn't far now. Unconsciously, he clenched his hands.

He paused suddenly. It was the middle of the night, a lonely hour where no one in their right mind should be up and about. Much less at a cemetery. Yet, there was someone else at the grave. Yugi almost turned and ran at the sight, an inexplicable shame coming over him.

However, something tugged at his memory. Whoever it was, he looked very familiar.

Mokuba?

Suppressing the urge to run, Yugi turned and walked slowly toward the grave. Though it was hard to tell with the darkness, he was sure that it was Mokuba. The boy was lying on the ground, and he wasn't moving. A surge of fear gripped Yugi's heart, shoving all other thoughts out of his head. He sped up, running toward the still figure at Kaiba's grave.

"Mokuba!"

Yugi knelt down beside the boy, his heart in his throat. There were no obvious signs of injury, but he could sense that something was very, very wrong. Yugi gently shook Mokuba. When the boy didn't respond, he quickly checked for a pulse. For a heart-stopping moment, Yugi felt nothing. Then, very faintly, he felt a heartbeat under his fingers. It was very weak, but still there.

_I have to get him to the hospital,_ Yugi thought quickly, trying to maintain some semblance of calm. He couldn't carry him all the way to the hospital, it was much too far. He'd have to somehow get help.

Carefully, Yugi lifted Mokuba onto his back. Mokuba was small, but Yugi was nearly the same size as him, being small for his age. Panting slightly, Yugi jogged out of the cemetery with the unconscious boy on his back. He had to find a phone and call for help, and he had to do it fast. Mokuba was barely breathing.

_Hang in there, Mokuba,_ Yugi thought desperately. _Your brother died because of my mistake; I won't let you die as well!

* * *

_

_Rrrring rrrrring! Rrrring rrrrring!_

**Tristin**:_ (groggily)_ Hello?

**Yugi**: _(slightly out of breath)_ Tristin? I need your help right now.

**Tristin**: _(now awake) _Yugi? Okay, sure. What's up? Where are you?

**Yugi**: I'm near the cemetery; just come on your motorcycle, you'll see me.

**Tristin**: _(confused) _Cemetery? Yug, what's going on?

**Yugi**:_ (starting to panic)_ No time, just come, please! It's an emergency!

**Tristin**: (_hurriedly_) I'm gone, I'm gone. See you in two minutes.

**Yugi**: Thanks.

_Click.

* * *

_

Falling...

The sensation is decidedly strange. It isn't the terrifying dropping sensation you get from an actual fall, it's more like slowly drifting down -- kind of like sinking into water. It's not scary, but it is a little disconcerting.

I close my eyes, even though there is only darkness. What is happening?

Life is complicated, but death is supposed to be simple. So why am I so confused? I only want to find you, big brother, but why can't I sense you anywhere? Isn't death supposed to bring the answers that elude us in life?

Everything seems so surreal, I can't really concentrate on my senses. My breathing seems to have stopped, my body is numb, and a great silence fills my ears, louder than any cacophony I have ever heard. My vision is hazy, even though there is only darkness to see. A thin veil of grayness seems to lie over my mind.

I'm becoming frightened. I try to curl up, but my body doesn't respond.

Seto, where are you?

* * *

_Rrrring rrrrri-!_

**Téa**: Good morning, Gardener residence.

**Joey**: (_annoyed_) Téa, where've ya been? I've called ya only about ten times already!

**Téa**: Joey? (_annoyed_) What do you mean, where have I been? It's four in the morning. I've been sleeping, like normal people do.

**Joey**: (_impatiently_) Forget what I said. Just get over here right now! We're at the hospital.

**Téa**: (_alarmed_) Hospital? Why? What happened?

**Joey**: (_subdued_) Mokuba. Yugi found the kid at the cemetery. He tried to commit suicide.

**Téa**: (_shocked_) Why? How is he?

**Joey**: (_heavily_) We're not totally sure why, though it probably had to do with his brother. The crazy kid tried to poison himself. Doc says the chances of survivin' are about fifty-fifty. He's in a coma or something. But I called ya because of Yugi.

**Téa**: Yugi? (_alarmed_) What happened to him? Is he alright?

**Joey**: He's havin' a tough time, seems like he's blamin' himself for what happened.

**Téa**: What? Why?

**Joey**: (_softly_) You know what happened at Duelist Kingdom. Well, Yugi reckons that Mokuba tried to kill himself 'cause Kaiba's dead, so now our friend's thinkin' it's all his fault.

**Téa**: That sounds so typical of Yugi. Say no more, I'm coming as soon as I can.

**Joey**: Alright, see ya.

_Click. Dial tone.

* * *

_

Téa burst through the front doors of the hospital, earning her a stern look from the receptionist. The brunette ignored the woman's disapproval and headed directly for the second floor, where Joey had told her he and Yugi and Tristin were waiting. Sure enough, there they were: Yugi was sitting at the edge of a bench, his eyes dazed and unfocused, Joey was leaning against the wall, and Tristin stood by a window, apparently dozing off on his feet.

"Hey, guys."

Joey and Tristin looked up immediately.

"Hey, Téa," Joey said in greeting. Tristin opened his mouth to say hello, but was interrupted as a huge yawn escaped instead. Looking slightly embarrassed, he muttered something that sounded like, "good morning".

Téa looked at Yugi worriedly. He was a mess -- his hair was tousled, his clothes were all wrinkled and his face was ashen. Yugi hadn't looked up or said anything when she arrived, and so far had shown no sign of even being aware of his surroundings.

"Yugi?" Téa approached her friend tentatively. "Are you okay?" When she got no response, she looked to Joey and Tristin for help. Tristin shrugged, then tried to cover another yawn, but Joey came and stood next to her.

"He's been like that ever since I got here," Joey said quietly. "Nothin' I've done could shake him outta it. I reckon he's worried sick about Mokuba, and still blamin' himself for what happened."

"Oh, Yugi." Téa bit her lip. She sat down beside him, looking at him with a worried gaze. "Please, say something."

She got no reply. Yugi continued to stare into space, oblivious to anything she said to him.

"Yugi..." she whispered, "Yugi..."

His name was like a litany, as if by simply calling to him, she could somehow bring him back from...wherever he'd gone. Slowly, words began to form in her mind, then whole sentences. Téa just kep talking, the words tumbling over one another as she called to her friend desperately.

"Yugi, please, Yugi, I don't know why you're like this right now, and I don't know how to help...only, I just know that you can hear me, and that you're trying to shut us out. Please don't do this to us, don't withdraw like this, Yugi, we're your friends and we're always going to be there for you. That means that whatever burden you're carrying, you can be sure that we'll be there to help you carry the weight. Yugi, you've heard me say this a million times, but I still believe when I say that friendship can overcome anything -- you just have to believe in that. You have to believe in us, and in yourself."

"C'mon, Yug," Joey added softly. "Snap out of it, listen to Téa."

"Yeah," Tristin said, finally overcoming his drowsiness. "We're here to help you, buddy."

"Yugi, please..."

A faint light came to Yugi's eyes, and Téa's heart leapt as he blinked slowly and looked up at her. There was recognition in his face, and a faint smile touched his lips, but no joy returned to his eyes. The usually sparkling amethyst eyes were still dark with worry and sorrow.

He sighed inaudibly, and began to speak -- but was cut off as a door opened nearby and a nurse walked briskly toward them. The four friends looked up simultaneously.

"Yugi Moto?"

Yugi nodded slowly. "How's Mokuba?" he asked, his voice soft and slightly rough.

The nurse glanced at the clipboard she held, and then said, "The latest report says that he is still comatose. The doctor says it is a little early to tell, but if he doesn't come out of the coma soon, the chances of survival are slim."

Téa bit her lip. Joey slammed his fist into his palm, and Tristin cursed under his breath. Only Yugi remained silent.

The nurse cleared her throat softly, glancing at her clipboard again. "As we were unable to reach any family members of guardians of Mokuba Kaiba, it appears that you are the closest person to a guardian we have, Mr. Moto."

Yugi nodded absently, his eyes lowered. The nurse glanced around at them.

"That is all." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Téa said quickly. "May we see Mokuba?"

The nurse hesitated, then said slowly, "It is against the hospital policy to allow strangers to visit a patient."

"We're not strangers," Tristin protested. "Mokuba knows us."

The nurse seemed undecided for a moment, then she shrugged to herself. "Then it shouldn't be a problem. Please follow me."

Téa knelt by Yugi, shaking his shoulder gently. "Come on, Yugi, we're going to see Mokuba."

He looked up at her, his eyes dull. He lowered his head again, and sighed. "Téa... I don't think I can right now."

"You're going to," she said firmly. "Running away isn't going to help you any. Please, Yugi," she added softly, "don't shut yourself away from the world."

Yugi was silent for several long moments. Time seemed to slow. Finally, he looked up at Téa, then looked to Joey and Tristin. Yugi took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

* * *

Where are you? 

Where are you...

_Mokuba..._

Your voice startles me out of the semi-conscious state I have fallen into. I try to twist around and find you, but my body is still numb.

Seto!

_I'm here, little brother._

Your voice is everywhere, surrounding me, echoing in the emptiness all around me. I hear you, but why don't I see you, big brother?

_Here, Mokuba, I'm here._

There is a patch of darkness in front of me, and I squint to try to discern what it is. I blink, and suddenly...

Seto! It's you! You're here!

I set my will and wrestle my unwilling muscles into obedience. You're standing right in front of me -- you are exactly as I remember, I guess death doesn't change anything. You're still my big brother: handsome, strong, and your smile is warm as I run toward you, a great elation filling my heart.

Seto, I am finally with you again!

_No, Mokuba..._

I stop, confused. You're falling farther away, no matter how many steps I take, it takes me no closer to you. The joy I feel is quenched by confusion and a growing fear.

Seto, why are you running away from me?

_You can't follow me, Mokuba. _

Your voice is sad but firm; what are you saying?

_You can't die yet, you have so much to do still. You can't lose your life so quickly._

But I don't want to live if it means living without you, Seto!

You gaze at me and smile sadly.

_You have to learn to see past it, little brother. Death isn't the end._

It hurts to live without you. I'm starting to cry now, and even though you're right in front of me I feel the pain of separation tearing my heart. I'm not strong like you, I can't live with that kind of suffering, day in, day out. Death was my only choice.

_It wasn't, and it's not an answer._ You take a step toward me, and I look up at you, blinking my tears away. _Mokuba, you have to learn to go on -- I would have given everything to let you have the life you're throwing away. _

Your voice is steady and firm, but I can hear the pain. Oh, please don't be sad, Seto, no...

_I did everything in my power to keep you safe, Mokuba. Don't let me down._

I never let you down, I would never. I'm desperate, my life's shattered, I feel like I've gone past the point of no return. How can I go back and pretend everything's okay?

_You won't need to pretend, because everything will be alright._

But it won't be alright! You're not there, and I want you with me. I can't live without you!

_I'll be with you, little brother, I would never wholly leave you. Even though you can't see me, I will never be truly gone; as long as you still remember me, I will always be with you._

How? How is that possible? I thought and thought of you, and this is where it got me...

The tears are coming back again, and though I try to blink them away, they just keep coming. I fight back a sob and close my eyes.

I feel a cool touch on my cheek. I blink. You're kneeling in front of me, drying my tears.

_Please, Mokuba, it breaks my heart... But I can't let you die._

Seto...

I swallow my tears.

Impulsively, I fling my arms around your neck.

Just hold me again, big brother, I missed you so much!

_I missed you too, Mokuba..._

I feel...happy. For the first time since you've been gone, I'm happy. Because we're together, and everything's alright. I feel safe, protected in your embrace.

_Have faith, little brother, everything will be okay. You have to believe that things will look brighter, you have to believe that I will never abandon you. Death is not all-powerful._

I'll try... I'll try my hardest. But for now, let me just stay here, just let me have this time with you.

I close my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of your cologne, it comforts me. I try not to think about anything, try to forget about the realities of what's happened...

It is a perfect moment. I want it to never end...

Never end...

Never...

Ever...

_You have to go back, everyone will be worried about you._

I pull away reluctantly, not wanting to face reality again. I just want to stay here, where you are.

I feel something being pressed into my hand. Looking down, I see that you've handed me the locket you always wear around your neck -- one of the pair of identical lockets that hold our pictures. There is a strange hollow, twisting feeling in my heart as I close my fist around the item.

I will keep it forever, Seto. Forever.

_I promised I would always be there for you, little brother. I promise I will always, always be with you. Forever._

You stand up, a small smile on your face. But it's a kind smile, a real smile -- a smile that reaches your eyes and warms them, a smile that I'll treasure forever.

_I will always be with you, always and forever. I promise._

I blink, willing myself not to cry again.

I love you, Seto...

But I can't tell if you heard me or not, because suddenly, you're gone, fading away as an even deeper darkness envelopes me, rendering me blind. I experience that falling sensation again, but suddenly, a pinprick of light appears. The light grows stronger, and soon it is all that I can see. As the blinding whiteness engulfs me, I can hear your voice, echoing,

_I promise...

* * *

_

"It's my fault."

Téa started suddenly and Joey and Tristin turned, respectively, away from gazing out a window and staring unseeingly into a corner. Yugi's voice drew their attention at once.

The phrase "what are you talking about?" came automatically to Téa's lips, but died as quickly as they came. She knew what he was talking about, they all knew.

"It's all because of me," Yugi continued quietly. "My mistake caused all of this, my weakness."

He was sitting in a chair beside the bed Mokuba was resting on, watching the young boy with an expression of sadness and remorse. Mokuba was hooked up to several machines, and though Téa didn't know what all of them were for it was apparent that the boy wasn't in the best of conditions.

"Yugi..." Téa fumbled for something to say, and was frustrated when she couldn't find the words to express herself. She wanted to tell him that no one blamed him. Even Mokuba had forgiven him: after the initial shock followed by a fit of anger and despair, Mokuba had come to terms with it (in appearance at least), and he hadn't blamed Yugi. She wanted to say that he wasn't weak, that it had all been a terrible accident. She wanted to comfort him. It broke her heart to see him like this.

Suddenly, Joey strode over to Yugi and shook him roughly. Téa gasped, but Tristin laid a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Let Joey handle it," he said softly. "Some rough common sense just might shake Yugi out of it."

Téa bit her lip, but nodded.

"Now you listen to me, Yug," Joey said firmly, looking Yugi in the eye. "_Stop blamin' yourself_. We've all heard a million time how sorry you are, we've all seen how miserable you are, so stop repeatin' yourself and believe us when we say 'we _know_.' Look, Kaiba's dead --" Yugi flinched slightly as Joey said this in a matter-of-fact tone. "--but it's not the end of the world. It was half _his_ fault that he's dead! He stood on that ledge, he knew he was gonna die. Both of you had the soul of a loved-one on the line! If you're gonna blame anyone, go blame that albino freak Pegasus! Now, I'm tellin' you for the last time: _stop blamin' yourself._"

Yugi had sat up straighter during Joey's speech, and a stern expression returned to his face for a moment. Téa's heart leapt. It seemed that Joey's common sense was finally getting through to him! But then, as Joey finished speaking, Yugi slumped down again. He shook his head.

"_Yugi!_" Joey was on the verge of yelling at him.

"Joey, pipe down!" Tristin said sharply. "We're in a hospital room."

Joey snapped his mouth shut. Téa watched Yugi with concern.

"I'm sorry."

Téa, Joey, and Tristin all looked at Yugi at the unexpected comment. "What?" they said simultaneously.

"I'm sorry for being so miserable, for being so helpless," Yugi said, staring at his hands. "I guess Joey's right, I'm not really handling the situation in any proper way. But..." He shook his head again, then continued, almost as though talking to himself. "But nothing. I need to move on. I can't forgive myself for what happened, but I'll do my best to remedy what I still can. I should have been there for Mokuba these past months, but I neglected him. I thought he was okay, but I should have known better: how could he be okay when he had lost his brother, his only family?"

Téa, Joey, and Tristin watched and listened to him silently, but in their hearts a chorus of relief sang out. Yugi was on the mend!

"And now," Yugi continued quietly, gazing at Mokuba's comatose figure, "my only wish is for Mokuba to be okay. I don't think I could handle it if he..."

"He won't," Joey said firmly. "What kind of a world would this be if a kid like him was allowed to go, just like that?"

"Joey's right," Tristin added.

"Mokuba will be okay," said Téa. "We just have to believe."

Yugi looked at each of his friends in turn, and all he saw were absolute faith and trust, and an undying support. A weak smile touched his face.

"Thank you," he said. "You guys are the greatest friends a guy could ask for."

"We'll always be there for you, Yugi," Téa said with a smile.

A machine suddenly beeped, startling the four friends. They turned as one toward the hospital bed. Téa gasped as she saw Mokuba stirring. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open and a doctor rushed in, followed by a nurse. It was the same woman that had let them in earlier, but now she quickly ushered them out of the room.

Joey began to protest, but the nurse gave him a stern look and shut the door in their faces. As the door closed, Téa caught a glimpse of Mokuba opening his eyes, with a doctor of each side of the bed.

Yugi could hear his own heart pounding in his ears as he stared at the closed door. "Mokuba," he said in shock. "He...he's..."

"He's awake!" Tristin finished for him. "He's going to be alright!"

"But...why did they make us leave so quickly?" asked Téa. "Is something wrong?"

Joey shook his head. "Can't be. We saw the kid wake up. He's got to be okay!"

Yugi's eyes held a look of concern as he glanced from the door to his friends and back again. "But what if..."

"No 'what-if's," Joey said firmly. "Mokuba's going to be fine."

Even as he spoke, the door opened again and the doctor and nurse filed out. The doctor paused as he saw Yugi and his friends waiting outside.

"Yugi Moto, I assume?" he asked. Yugi nodded. The doctor smiled slightly. "Well, it appears that Mr. Mokuba Kaiba is going to be quite well. He has just woken up from his coma, and he should recover in the next week or so. You may all go see him now, if you wish."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the four teenagers, followed by a cheer from Joey and Tristin. The doctor smiled at them and left.

Yugi dashed through the door.

"Mokuba!"

The dark-haired boy was lying down, but now he was no longer connected to the machines. Mokuba smiled weakly as they entered.

"Hey guys."

* * *

So Yugi is the one who found me. He and his friends have only just left. I can tell that they were really worried about me. They tell me I was in a coma, and that for a while no one knew if I was going to live or not. 

I lie back in the hospital bed, watching the early morning light shining through the curtains that cover the window.

I think Yugi blames himself for me almost dying. How foolish. It was my choice, and my choice alone. I was angry at Yugi for a while because he was the one that killed my brother, he broke his promise to me, he said that he would help you, Seto, but in the end... Well, it is the past. Though it hurts, it is the past.

Of course, I still can't say I've forgiven him wholly, but I'm not mad anymore.

No, those wounds are beginning to heal, now.

Because I saw you, big brother, and I know that you're with me even as I'm thinking about this.

I close my eyes.

It still hurts me when I think about it, when I realize that I won't ever again see you at the breakfast table when I wake up in the morning, reading a newspaper and telling me to eat something while you only drink a bit of coffee yourself. It still hurts to think that no matter how long I wait at the window of our mansion, I won't ever see you coming down that driveway, I won't ever see you coming home again.

But I know now that you haven't abandoned me, that you're always here in my memories, and in my heart. You'll will always watch over me, big brother, whether I can see you or not.

I know you're here. Because you promised me you would always be there. Always and forever.

I open my eyes lift my hand, gazing at the locket that I've held onto tightly for fear that it will disappear suddenly.

I know it wasn't just a dream. No, whatever they tell me, whatever medical evidence they dig up, I know what I saw today. I know that I spoke with you, Seto. I know that I was with you.

Because of this locket.

I pull out my locket from under my shirt. The two are identical. There is no mistake.

You'll always be here with me, I have faith in you.

Whenever there is silence, I can hear your voice. Whenever I take a breath I can smell your familiar cologne. And whenever I close my eyes, I can see you smiling at me.

I know you're here, I know I'm not alone.

I open the lockets, placing them side by side to form the whole picture.

There you are, Seto, and there I am. Together.

_I will always be with you, always and forever.  
_

_I promise._

I smile and close my eyes.

Always and forever.

**_fin_**

* * *

_(1)Poem by Linda Goodman and Julie Galloway._

...That was harder to write than it seems, but it's finally finished and posted. Well, hope you enjoyed it!


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